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Where new Wisconsin Badgers starter Colton Joseph ranks among this year's transfer portal QBs

New Wisconsin Badgers quarterback Colton Joseph didn't make it into the Top 10 of The Athletic's rankings of the QBs who entered the transfer portal this winter.
Lorin Cox|
Old Dominion Monarchs quarterback Colton Joseph (1) signed with the Wisconsin Badgers in the transfer portal.
Old Dominion Monarchs quarterback Colton Joseph (1) signed with the Wisconsin Badgers in the transfer portal. | Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

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The window for players to enter the transfer portal closed Friday night, so no new players will be added to the pool this winter.

Plenty of players in the portal are still looking for their next school, but now college football analysts can properly evaluate who the best players were that became available this cycle.

The Athletic updated its transfer quarterback rankings after Duke's Darian Mensah entered his name at the last minute, and the Wisconsin Badgers new quarterback was bumped down the rankings.

Colton Joseph from Old Dominion finished as the 12th best quarterback in the portal, according to writers Sam Khan Jr. and Antonio Morales.

12. Colton Joseph, Wisconsin

The Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Year should be an ideal fit for Jeff Grimes’ offense at Wisconsin. The heavy use of misdirection and bootlegs off of play action should pair well with Joseph’s pure running ability. He has the arm to make the necessary deep throws that are also part of the scheme.

If Wisconsin’s reworked offensive line comes together, there’s intriguing potential in this match.
The Athletic

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The Badgers made Joseph their clear top target from the moment the portal opened, bringing him in for his first visit on the opening weekend and not letting him leave without a commitment.

Two of the quarterbacks ranked above him are still uncommitted as of Saturday evening. Mensah entered the list at No. 1, and former Florida QB D.J. Lagway ranks ninth.

Only three Big Ten teams landed quarterbacks that ranked higher than Joseph on the list from The Athletic.

Old Dominion Monarchs quarterback Colton Joseph (1) runs for a touchdown against the Indiana Hoosiers during the first half
Old Dominion Monarchs quarterback Colton Joseph (1) runs for a touchdown against the Indiana Hoosiers during the first half at Memorial Stadium. | Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

Related: New Wisconsin QB Colton Joseph wants to be Badgers version of Fernando Mendoza at Indiana

Indiana is highest with former TCU passer Josh Hoover at No. 5, but Oregon and Penn State are not far behind with Dylan Raiola and Rocco Becht ranking seventh and eighth.

Right ahead of Joseph is former Missouri QB Beau Pribula, who Wisconsin pursued in the transfer portal last winter before they decided to go with Billy Edwards Jr.

This year, Edwards did not rank among the Top 30 quarterbacks in the portal. He transfered to North Carolina.

The Badgers are banking on Joseph's elite athletic tools and high upside to give them the type of quarterback play that exceeds the national rankings and makes Wisconin's offense a group to be feared once again.

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Lorin Cox
LORIN COX

Lorin Cox is the managing editor of Wisconsin Badgers on SI. He has been covering Badgers sports since 2014, when he was an undergraduate at the University of Wisconsin. He previously wrote for the Wisconsin State Journal, NBC Sports Chicago and USA Today Sports Media Group, and he is a former analyst for Pro Football Focus.

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